Special Delivery
by flooj9235
Summary: While the Courier went to investigate the Sierra Madre, Veronica camped out nearby. The Courier returns with someone Veronica never expected to see again, but unless they get her to a doctor soon, Veronica won't get the chance to say anything at all to Christine. Mentioned F/F. Veronica/Christine. Threeshot.
1. Chapter 1

"Veronica!"

The hooded scribe looked up from the book she was reading, squinting into the sunrise. She spotted the courier moving toward her, smiling a little and getting to her feet. "Took you long enough," she teased. "I finished an entire book. Twice."

"Pack up," Artemis yelled as she hurried closer. "We gotta move!"

The courier's voice was frantic, and Veronica sobered, kicking some dirt on the remains of her campfire. "What's up? Are you okay?" she asked as her companion came closer, noticing that the courier was carrying a person on her back.

"I'm fine. We've got to get to a doctor," Artemis said, jerking her chin westward. "Doc Mitchell's the best I've found in the Mojave, so c'mon." She didn't break stride, shifting the weight of the person on her back and moving past the scribe.

Veronica frowned, packing up her things and slinging the bag onto her shoulder. She turned and took a few jogging steps to catch up. "Nice to see you, too," she muttered, glancing at the scarred head resting against the courier's shoulder as she took the courier's bag to lighten her load. "What happened?"

"A crazy old bastard happened," Artemis huffed, turning her head a little to check on the woman on her back. "Got any stimpaks?"

"A few, I think," Veronica answered, trying to see what had happened to Artemis' charge that was so terrible.

"Good, we're going to need them."

"Is it bad?" Veronica asked, trotting around to get a glimpse of the woman's face. Artemis' answer went unheard as Veronica froze, unable to process what she'd just seen. Her feet stopped moving and she paused, her head feeling abnormally light.

A few feet ahead, Artemis stopped and turned, frowning back at Veronica. "Veronica?"

Veronica tried to say something, but no words came out of her mouth. She gave the courier a helpless look, gesturing toward the unconscious woman.

Artemis looked worried momentarily, but cringed a second later. "Damn it. It is her_,_ isn't it?"

"What... How did you..." Veronica's voice sounded strangled. "Christine?"

Artemis nodded slowly, giving Veronica a careful look. "You okay?"

Veronica looked at Christine uncertainly. "Is that her? Is it really her?"

The courier nodded again. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"What happened?" Veronica asked again, trying to blink tears out of her eyes.

Artemis opened her mouth, seemed to consider her response, then sighed. "It's... a long story. Look, I promise, I'll tell you everything as soon as I can. But she's hurt, Veronica. She **needs** a doctor, and a good one." She gave the scribe a pleading look. "I know this is a shitty thing to surprise you with, but we have to move if we want to save her."

"Is she going to make it?" Veronica's voice caught on the words, and her eyes were wide with concern.

Artemis allowed a sigh to be her answer. "I hope so." Without anything else to say, she started west, the scribe following behind her pensively.

"Where are we headed?" Veronica asked at length, having vaguely noticed that New Vegas didn't appear to be their destination. Her brain was feeling fuzzy, and she couldn't remember if the courier had mentioned it yet or not.

"Goodsprings," Artemis repeated impatiently. "We don't have the caps to get help anywhere near Vegas, and Doc Mitchell's good and will probably help for free."

Veronica went quiet again, pondering what could have happened. She conjured up all sorts of deathclaw or gecko attacks, her brain too shocked to remember what the courier had offered as an answer. Christine had always been capable in a fight, so something must have gone terribly wrong, but before the scribe could begin to imagine what, she was distracted when Artemis swore in front of her.

"Vipers," the courier muttered, crouching a little and leading Veronica over behind an outcropping. "Shit, this is gonna be tricky." She hummed thoughtfully, studying the gang members. After a moment, she made a thoughtful noise. "Do you still have that stealth boy you found last time we went scavving?"

Veronica pulled her pack off her shoulder and dug through it, locating the little device a few seconds later. "Yeah."

"Can you rig it to put off a big enough field to cover all three of us?"

The scribe studied the tech in her palm, all the lessons she'd learned from Elijah coming back to her. After a few moments, she wired a spare energy cell to the device and hooked it on her own wrist. With a flick of the switch, she disappeared from view, and when the scribe reached out and grabbed the courier's arm, the other two women disappeared as well.

"Awesome," the courier exclaimed quietly, trying not to draw attention to their position. "Great job, Veronica. That's why I keep you around." There was a note of teasing in her voice, hidden under what was mostly a mix of pride and relief.

Normally Veronica would have responded with some dry remark, but she said nothing, nudging the courier forward. She wasn't sure how long her jury-rigged stealth field would last, and she didn't really feel up to kidding around either.

Artemis crept forward as quickly as she could, stepping out from behind the rocks. There was a large, dry lake for them to cross, and the faster they could make it, the better. The sun was burning down on them, but there was no wind to kick up dust. Artemis made a grateful comment under her breath, skirting as far away from a fire ant mound as she could.

The trip across the lake bed took an agonizingly long time, what with them moving slowly to avoid detection, and the idea that time was slipping through their fingers didn't help matters at all.

They'd made it most of the way across the dry bed when the stealth boy began making a high-pitched whine. Veronica felt it heating up against her wrist, scowling a little. She ripped off the energy cell to ease the strain on the stealth boy, and slid the device off her arm and onto the courier's. The whining noise stopped and the two stayed invisible, but Veronica could see herself once again. She was momentarily grateful that she was wearing her brown traveling robes, knowing that she could blend in a little better that way.

The still-overheated energy cell began burning her hand and she flung it away, toward the Vipers, only realizing that she'd done so when the energy cell exploded and a shout came from the gang members.

"Veronica!" Artemis hissed, sounding aggravated.

The stealth field enveloping the two women shimmered slightly, and Veronica nudged the courier again. "Go!"

Gunfire came from the direction of the Vipers, but they were too far away to hit their target.

The courier stood and started running, Veronica right behind her. The scribe maneuvered herself so that she'd shield Christine from any wayward bullets, hoping the gangsters would give up the chase.

Instead, the Vipers ran after them, catching up quickly since they had no unconscious woman to weigh them down.

"Crap," Veronica groaned, hand clenching inside her power fist. By the time they got close enough to punch, they would have shot and killed her. She knew that since she was the only one visible, she could sacrifice herself as a diversion to allow the courier to escape with Christine, but that wasn't an appealing option. "Now what?"

"There's a scoped rifle in my bag," Artemis called from in front of the scribe. "If you want to try it, go for it."

Veronica pulled the courier's bag off her shoulder and started digging through it, her fingers quickly finding the rifle. She pulled it out and checked to see if it was loaded, relieved to find that it was. As uncomfortable as she was with anything other than a power fist, Veronica paused and took aim, lining up the crosshairs with the nearest Viper's head with skill taught to her long ago by the woman hidden on Artemis' back.

"Aim for the left hip," Artemis cautioned breathlessly. "That thing kicks like an angry bighorner on Psycho."

The hooded woman adjusted her aim accordingly, squeezing the trigger. The blast sent her reeling backward, and she caught herself with her elbow, looking up to see if she'd succeeded.

The other gangsters had stopped and were staring at their dead counterpart, who was sprawled on the dirt with half his skull missing. They glanced between each other, obviously unsure of whether or not to give chase.

Veronica was momentarily sickened by the sight, scrambling to grab the gun and go. She followed the sound of Artemis' voice and they ran for the mountains. The stealth boy wore out completely a few minutes later, and Veronica glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were alone.

Much to her surprise, the Vipers hadn't come after them, and they were alone in the big lake bed. The scribe turned to tell the courier, but found that she was still moving forward.

There was sweat pouring down the courier's face and her breathing was getting heavier. They had made good time; the skyscrapers of Vegas shot into the sky in the north, and mountains rose up in front of them.

"We've gotta stop," Artemis announced, her pace slowing as she scanned their surroundings. "There's a little sheltered spot over there. Let's go."

Veronica followed the courier obediently, still quiet. The danger gone, her emotions came flooding back. Every time her eyes fell on Christine, she swallowed hard, blinking away tears.

When they reached the alcove Artemis had spotted, the courier eased herself to the ground and lowered Christine to the dirt as gently as she could. In the process, the angry wounds peppered across the bald woman's front were exposed, and a quiet whimper came from the hooded scribe.

Artemis' face was lined with concerned, but she dug in her pack for some stimpaks, carefully injecting them into Christine's body. The unconscious woman didn't so much as twitch.

When the courier seemed satisfied that Christine was stable for the moment, she sat back on her heels and released a heavy sigh.

Artemis stretched a little, her back cracking in a few places. She looked around, nodding to herself when she saw the sun's position in the sky. "We've still got some time before the heat of the day. Are you up for it?"

Veronica nodded, knowing how urgent the situation was. She was still abnormally quiet, her bubbly persona dampened beneath her worry.

Artemis reached for her bag, pawing around in it for a bottle of water. She drank a little, pulling a face at the taste before turning her attention back to Christine. The courier carefully dribbled some of the water into her mouth, plugging her nose and forcing Christine's swallowing reflex. Artemis repeated the action a few more times, managing to get the bald woman to drink about a third of the bottle. Artemis finished the bottle off, crushing it and tossing it away.

Veronica watched as the courier stretched again before moving to grab Christine. "I can do it," she interjected, startling the courier. At Artemis' quizzical look, she continued. "If you're tired, I can carry her."

There was gratitude on Artemis' face for a split second, quickly overtaken by concern. "Are you sure? I know you're freaked out..."

"Let me help," Veronica said, sounding surprisingly firm.

Artemis didn't protest, moving aside and grabbing a few of Veronica's things to lighten the load.

The scribe went over to the woman, kneeling beside her and grabbing her gently. She maneuvered Christine onto her back, getting to her feet slowly, doing her best not to cause further harm to the injured woman. She staggered a little under the extra weight, but stayed standing.

"Ready," she said, giving the courier a determined glance. "Let's get going."

Artemis gave her another uncertain look before heading off.

Veronica remained quiet as they walked across the Mojave, her steps measured and careful so she wouldn't jostle the woman on her back.

"There's a pass through here, I think," Artemis said as they approached the mountains. "It's a little steep, but it saves us going all the way around and down past Sloan past all those deathclaw." She gave the scribe a questioning look. "Do you want to try it?"

"Is it faster?"

The courier nodded. "It'd shave a good six hours off."

Veronica eyed the mountains, giving the courier another determined stare. "Let's do it."

Artemis gave her companion a little grin, turning her attention to the Pipboy on her wrist. She twisted a few knobs and dials, looking up to study the steep rock formations. Finally, she nodded, directing herself and Veronica toward a particular spot on the mountain.

Though her muscles were crying out in distress, Veronica didn't falter, knowing Christine's life quite literally rested on her shoulders. She had never hated Christine for leaving, and the thought of her dying now was too terrifying for the scribe to think about.

"This way," the courier called, pulling Veronica out of her thoughts as they started up the incline.

A few dead radscorpions were scattered along the path, and the courier heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God we don't have to deal with them. This climb is gonna be tough at first anyway."

True to Artemis' words, the ground sloped sharply upward, and Veronica had trouble keeping herself upright.

The courier scouted ahead for a few minutes, and Veronica stopped to catch her breath. She realized she couldn't tell if Christine was still breathing over the sound of her own panting and held her breath for a few moments, ears straining to hear anything other than her own pounding heart.

She nearly melted with relief when she heard a shallow breath come from the bald woman. Veronica turned her head slightly, resting her cheek against Christine's head in what was as close to an embrace as she could manage. "Keep pushing," she murmured, more to herself than Christine, though the encouragement was aimed at the injured woman on her back.

When Artemis returned, she patiently helped the scribe up the hill, stumbling a little herself. They paused as the ground leveled out, gasping for breath. Artemis offered Veronica a drink, giving her a little grin.

"That was the hardest part. It's mostly flat from here."

Veronica nodded a little, blinking sweat out of her eyes. "Let's go."

Artemis got a revolver ready just in case and they started through the narrow passageway. Their little pass turned into a deep ravine, and the ground was littered with rocks and bones. Before long, the flat gulch bottom turned into more steep hills, and Veronica stumbled a few more time.

"Okay, I lied, sorry," Artemis said, holstering her gun and reaching out to steady the scribe. "I'll take her for a while."

Veronica didn't complain, trading Christine for the two bags filled with gear. After a quick break, the courier continued through the ravine, the scribe hot on her heels.


	2. Chapter 2

A good twenty minutes passed before the dirt flattened out again, and a hot breeze blew through the gulch. Warm as the air was, it still cooled Veronica's heated skin, and she gave a little sigh of relief. The courier grinned knowingly. "Nice that it's windy now, instead of back on the El Dorado lake, huh?"

Veronica nodded, glancing up to see if there were any clouds blowing in. The sky was clear and blue, much to her disappointment, and she frowned. If they kept up the pace the way they had been, they'd die of heat exhaustion far before they got help for Christine.

Tears stung her eyes, and she swallowed hard, trying to focus on anything other than death. The possibility was too real and too terrifying, and there was no way she'd be able to help her former girlfriend if she was an emotional wreck.

She shook her head and looked around, trying to clear the images from her mind. Something in the dirt glinted in the sunlight, catching her attention. Grateful for the distraction, the scribe trotted over to the object, somewhat surprised to find that it was a Brotherhood laser pistol. Veronica knelt and picked it up, studying the weapon for a few moments before she heard the courier's footsteps behind her.

Veronica held up the laser pistol, about to offer it to her companion when the breeze died down. The telltale howling of Hidden Valley's sandstorm echoed through the pass, and Veronica stopped short and gave the courier an apprehensive look.

"Hidden Valley," she started, but the courier shook her head.

"No." The courier's voice was firm. "We can't."

Veronica gave the courier a wild look. "Why not? It's right there!"

"It's just not gonna work. They're so stuck in their hiding they won't listen, you know that. Besides, the sandstorm they've got running will just make it worse; it might give her an infection or something. She's barely hanging on right now, and I'm not gonna take a chance like that." Rather than consider the idea further, Artemis began surveying the walls of the little canyon for a different path.

"I could go and get them to turn it off!" Veronica protested desperately.

"No!" Artemis yelled, silencing the scribe. "You **know** they won't listen to you. There's no point in wasting precious time."

"But she's part of the Brotherhood!"

"She left," Artemis shot back with an exasperated glare. "And you know as well as I do that the Brotherhood doesn't take kindly to deserters."

"But-"

"No, Veronica! Drop it." Artemis shrugged her shoulders a little, settling Christine into a more comfortable spot on her back before studying the sides of the gulch again.

Veronica groaned and turned to glance at the whirling storm beyond the ravine. She lifted her chin defiantly and started for the Brotherhood bunker, her mind spinning with ways to convince the elders to let Christine in.

Artemis swore behind her. "Damn it, Veronica! Give it up!"

Veronica ignored her, pulling her hood a little closer to her face to shield herself from the sand.

The courier growled, setting Christine down and running a few steps to catch up to the scribe. "We're wasting time! I can't get her anywhere safely by myself!"

"It won't be wasting time if they let us in," Veronica countered hotly.

The courier caught the scribe's arm, only to have Veronica wheel around and throw a wild punch. Artemis went reeling, stumbling over a rock and falling to the ground.

Veronica looked mortified at what she'd done, apologizing immediately and scrambling to help Artemis to her feet.

The courier swayed slightly on her feet, spitting out a bit of blood before eyeing Veronica warily.

"At least it was a left hook?" Veronica offered weakly, gesturing to the power fist on her right hand.

Artemis nodded gingerly, sighing a little. She opened her mouth to say something, but the distinctive scuttling of radscorpions interrupted her. Horror flashed across her face, and the two turned to see a group of scorpions crawling toward Christine.

Everything else was forgotten as the courier pulled out a pistol and Veronica ran toward the insects with her power fist at the ready. The air filled with the noises of combat, and gunfire echoed off the rocks.

The courier's gun jammed and she swore loudly, flipping it in her hand and using it to club the radscorpion before her. A few solid whacks later, the carapace crunched in and the scorpion fell still.

Veronica grunted as she threw a punch, effectively separating one of the claws from a scorpion's body. A scuttling noise behind her made her turn, and she saw a little bark scorpion poking at Christine. "No!" She gave a yell and swung her pneumatic fist toward the mutated insect. It flew into pieces from the force of the attack, and Veronica went into a rage, throwing punches at everything that came near her.

Artemis ducked behind the scribe and crouched beside Christine, checking the unconscious woman over for new injuries. "Damn it. Cover me, Veronica!" she yelled, leaning over and sucking poison out of a sting on Christine's skin.

The scribe did as she was told, fighting off everything that so much as moved toward her, and chasing down the radscorpions that tried to flee. By the time Veronica had rid the area of the overgrown insects, the courier had dug in her pack for some antivenom and dribbled some into an empty syringe.

"It got her, just barely," Artemis explained as Veronica jogged up, breathing heavily. "I sucked out all the poison I could, but I figure a shot of antivenom wouldn't hurt." The courier was pale, and paused to try to spit out the taste in her mouth. "She tastes like the damn cloud," she muttered, shuddering a little before carefully injecting the medication into Christine's hip.

Veronica didn't question the courier, wiping sweat off her brow and watching anxiously. The scars across the woman's face were sharply visible against the deathly pallor of her skin. Veronica's fingers went to Christine's wrist, searching for a pulse, but her own hands were trembling so violently that she couldn't feel anything.

"She's okay," the courier assured her companion, giving Veronica a distracted little smile. "You did good, getting that scorp off her when you did."

The scribe nodded, not really listening.

Artemis sat back and gave a relieved sigh. She started to say something, then noticed Veronica's trembling and that she was near tears as she reached for the unconscious woman. Artemis quietly excused herself, getting up and walking away. She took a few moments to relieve herself behind a large boulder, lingering there to give Veronica a few private moments with her former lover.

The courier started back to her companions, going more slowly than she knew was probably good for Christine. She cared about Veronica, too, though, and didn't want her suffering. Whatever comfort a moment with the unconscious woman could bring was worth it.

As Artemis rounded the corner and her companions came into view again, she came to a halt and watched for a few moments. Veronica was playing with Christine's hand gently, gazing at the ground nearby, her eyes far away. Despite the scribe's distracted appearance, the scene was somehow tender, and the courier choked up. Part of her willed Christine to be all right, and she walked back toward her friends.

"Ready?" she asked in a low voice.

Veronica nodded slowly, releasing Christine's hand and moving away. She turned away, composing herself while Artemis resumed her position at Christine's side.

The courier checked the wounds and Christine's pulse, searching in her bag for more stimpaks. "Oh, _shit._"

Veronica spun around, looking alarmed.

"We're down to one stim. That's it." The courier scowled, scrubbing a hand over her face. "Damn it."

"There should be more in my bag." Veronica watched anxiously as Artemis pawed through her belongings, glad to see the courier pull a stimpak out.

"That's it." Artemis gave the scribe a concerned look. "I thought you said you had a few."

A wave of guilt crashed down on Veronica. "I thought I did." If Artemis had been counting on more than one stimpak in her bag, she could be at fault for anything bad that happened to Christine.

Artemis saw the change in Veronica's demeanor immediately and shook her head. "It's okay, it's fine. We'll just have to go a little faster, that's all."

The scribe didn't appear convinced, and Artemis knew there wasn't time to appease Veronica's conscience. Instead, she injected one of their last two stims into Christine's arm, hoping it would do as much good as possible. She tossed the empty syringe away, carefully pulling Christine onto her back and standing up. "Let's get moving."

The courier found a slope leading up the ravine wall, and with some careful teamwork, they scaled it and climbed up onto the top of the cliff. The path was flat and twisted toward Black Mountain, but it kept them out of Hidden Valley's sandstorm. Artemis didn't have to look back to know that Veronica was giving the sand-shrouded bunker a wistful look, but she pressed on, trusting her companion to follow.

As they moved closer to Black Mountain, the warm tickle of radiation ghosted across their skin, and the courier cringed. "Watch out, just in case," she cautioned in a low voice. "We're gonna be able to avoid the craters, but there could still be a wandering mutie around somewhere."

Veronica made a quiet noise of acknowledgement, keeping her eyes peeled for anything hostile.

Everything around them seemed quiet, and they moved along the tops of the rocks quickly. Artemis stumbled once and fell to her knees, and Veronica stepped forward to catch her from losing her balance and falling over the cliff. The courier swore a little, getting back to her feet and favoring her right knee, but gave her friend a grateful nod.

"Centaurs," Veronica announced a few minutes later, motioning toward a crater to their right. The abominations were waddling around below them, ignorant of their presence atop the rocks. "I don't think they see us."

"Let's keep it that way," Artemis huffed, leading the scribe around a few rocks and toward a gentle slope. The pair raced down it, glad for the extra momentum gravity provided, and followed the uneven path toward and alongside the NCRCF.

The ground evened out, and up ahead, they could see the stretch of the I-15 that led south toward Primm and Goodsprings. A sense of excitement came over them, and Artemis did her best to jog. Her pace slowed as they passed the old prison, and finally she came to an apprehensive stop.

"Get in my bag and get that last stim, would you?"

Veronica did, pulling out the stimpak and feeling her heart rate increase nervously at the look on the courier's face.

"I don't like how her breathing sounds," Artemis explained. "Give it to her."

"How much farther?" The scribe asked uncertainly, hesitating a little. "Would it be better to wait?"

Artemis' face darkened. "I'm scared that if we wait, there won't be a reason to use it."

Veronica didn't argue, moving closer and gently pressing the needle into her former girlfriend's arm. She shot the medicine out of the syringe, trying to squeeze every last drop out. She reluctantly dropped the empty syringe to the ground, exhaling slowly. "Okay."

The courier gave Veronica an unreadable look, and they took off down the road. The pavement was rough and cracked, but it was far easier to travel on than the desert ground.

The sun had begun its descent a few hours before, and Artemis muttered something about the few remaining hours of daylight, but Veronica didn't catch it, her eyes on Christine once again.

Even moving as fast as they could, both women were worn out from the strenuous trip they'd already made, and it took them nearly half an hour to get down the prison road to the pre-war highway. The courier was sweating again, but pushed on as hard as she could, only pausing to ask Veronica for a drink once.

They were nearing the turn to Goodsprings when Artemis stopped and swore violently. "We don't have much more time. Veronica, take her. Follow me as fast as you can."

The scribe dropped the bags to the ground without objection, helping move the woman from Artemis' back to her own. As soon as Christine was against her, Veronica could tell that something about her breathing was not right.

"Got her?" Artemis asked, sounding stressed. At the scribe's sound of agreement, she nodded and glanced toward the little town. "Head for the blue flag on the hill. I'm gonna run ahead and tell him we're coming."

Veronica nodded as the courier scooped up their bags and sprinted away, hurrying after her companion as quickly as she could manage. She struggled to keep up, and nearly fell climbing the hill toward the doctor's house. Just as she scrambled to the porch, Artemis and the old doctor came jogging out, and the doctor held the door as Artemis helped ease Christine through the narrow doorway.

"In here," Doc Mitchell said, directing Veronica to a table surrounded by medical instruments. She followed him, allowing him to help her ease Christine off her back and onto the table. Her back was aching, but seeing how ashen her old lover had become shook her to her core and made her forget she was uncomfortable.

Artemis began describing to the doctor what had happened in hushed tones as he washed up in a basin in the corner.

He made a noise of agreement, and started sterilizing a few of his tools.

Artemis came and took Veronica's arm, leading her out of the cabin. The scribe followed without much struggle, images of Christine's wounded body burned into her mind.

They found a relatively clean spot on the hill in front of the doctor's cabin, taking a seat and waiting for news. The sun was still hot above them, and Artemis suggested they go to the saloon to wait. "There's shade, at least," she offered.

Veronica didn't have a response, and Artemis fell quiet again. A stray tumbleweed bounced past on the road below, heading nowhere.

Artemis tried a few more times to speak and distract her friend, but Veronica was hardly listening, too wrapped up in hoping that they'd done enough and gotten Christine there in time.

"I'm gonna get something to drink," Artemis said an hour later, getting to her feet and brushing some of the dust off her pants. "You want anything?"

Veronica shrugged, chewing on her lower lip worriedly.

Artemis started to say something, thinking better of it and walking off toward the saloon.

Veronica stayed sitting on the hill, pulling up a few dried weeds and ripping them into little pieces. She wasn't feeling much of anything, her insides squirming with worry.

The courier returned a few minutes later, handing Veronica a sarsaparilla. She sat down beside the scribe again, uncorking a bottle of whiskey and taking a swig. They were both silent for a few moments, and then Artemis sighed. "Doc Mitchell is the best doctor in the whole damn Mojave. He dug a bullet out of my head, and I'm still kicking. He'll do whatever he can."

Veronica only nodded, staring off at nothing while she rolled the bottle in her hands.

The courier sat with Veronica for a while longer, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder. Neither of them spoke, their thoughts on the woman inside the shack.

Minutes turned to hours, and the courier finally stood, giving her companion a sympathetic look. "I'm gonna go see if he needs any help. Are you gonna be okay out here?"

Veronica nodded once, still not saying anything.

Artemis gave a little sigh, heading off into the shack. The door closed behind nervous with a quiet click, and Veronica was alone again. Visions of how the surgery might be going filled her brain, and for once, the scribe wished she'd been raised in a religious tribe, just so she'd have someone to beg for help.

She tried it anyway, silently asking whoever was listening to help Christine, but felt ridiculous for even hoping to hear a response.

Night fell, and Veronica was still outside the doctor's cabin, her insides quaking with worry. She had so many things she wanted to say to Christine, so many questions she wanted answered, and the longer it was taking, the less sure she was she'd get a chance to voice her thoughts.

The door opened, and Veronica's head snapped up. In the darkness of the cabin, she could only make out a silhouette approaching the door, and her heart started pounding. The moon picked that moment to slip out from behind the clouds, and shone through one of the house's front windows onto a bald head.

The scribe scrambled to her feet, her breath catching in her throat.

Doc Mitchell stepped out onto the porch, his eyes going to Veronica in the darkness. The old man looked weary, and opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't seem to find words.

Artemis appeared behind him, looking pale and teary-eyed.

Veronica looked between the two, shaking her head slowly. Her stomach started churning violently, and she shot the courier a pleading look.

"I'm sorry," the doctor murmured.

Veronica shook her head more firmly, refusing to believe what he was saying.

"Veronica," Artemis began carefully, her voice wavering slightly. She didn't get a chance to say anything else before Veronica exploded.

"God **damn** it!" she screamed, hardly able to hear herself over a strange buzzing in her ears. The scribe threw the bottle in her hand to the ground, unaware of it shattering violently. She needed to move, to get away from the news. It wasn't true. Christine had been gone, sure, but... dead? Veronica turned and ran, disappearing into the night.

Artemis started after her, but the doctor caught her arm.

"Give her time," he advised tiredly.

The courier gave him a distressed look, glancing after the scribe, but nodded slowly. Doc Mitchell gave her arm a gentle squeeze, turning and heading back into the house. After a moment, the courier followed him, going to help with the body.


	3. Chapter 3

It was hours later when the courier stood up and started for the door. There had been no sign of the scribe, and Artemis knew that just over the mountain was a quarry full of deathclaw. Even on the off chance that all the monsters were sleeping, an upset scribe wouldn't last long if they heard her.

Artemis shuddered and pushed the thought out of her mind, grabbing a rifle and some ammunition from her bag before slipping out of the house.

She headed off in the direction Veronica had fled, moving slowly while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Once she'd moved far enough away from the town, she started calling her friend's name, but was met with no response but the quiet of the wastes. Each time she was met with silence, her chest constricted with worry.

"Veronica!" The courier squinted into the darkness, wishing she had some Cateye. "Come on, damn it, where **are **you?"

The scribe was a capable fighter, but as upset as she was, there was no telling what could have happened. Artemis just hoped she'd find her companion before it was too late.

A tumbleweed rolled in front of her, and the courier jumped back, hands on her gun. She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment when she realized what had happened, somewhat glad no one was around to see until she realized that she'd prefer to hear a chuckle from the scribe than save her pride.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled her friend's name again, aware of the desperation that was beginning to set in. There was no answer. Artemis swore under her breath, jogging ahead and trying again. She continued the pattern for a few minutes, getting more and more discouraged the farther she went.

"Veronica!" Artemis called half-heartedly, discouraged and upset, knowing she'd probably have to wait until morning to return and attempt to find her friend, dead or alive.

Much to her surprise, the courier was finally met with a response. She heard sniffling coming from her left and turned, just barely able to make out the dark shape of someone sitting against a large boulder. Artemis clicked her Pipboy light on and aimed it at the shape, sagging with relief when the green glow illuminated the upset scribe.

"Thank God," she muttered, jogging over and kneeling beside Veronica. "Are you okay?"

Veronica let out a weak snort, refusing to look up at the courier. She shifted a little, and Artemis noticed that she was cradling her hand gently.

Artemis frowned, noticing the discarded power fist at Veronica's feet. "What in the hell..." She aimed her arm around to study the damage. There was a sizable dent in the boulder the scribe was sitting against, and the woman's favored pneumatic gauntlet was on the ground, smashed in and obviously beyond repair. "What did you do?"

"Punched stuff," Veronica replied in a hollow voice.

"No kidding." Artemis shook her head at the damage, studying her companion carefully. "... Are you okay?"

"I think I'm gonna need a new fist," Veronica mumbled sullenly.

Artemis took Veronica's hand and studied it, being as gentle as she could. "Yeah, looks like it," she agreed quietly. "You should've quit a little earlier; you broke your hand." She sat back on her heels, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. "Doc Mitchell can probably-"

"Why?" Veronica cut in suddenly, her voice agonized. "Why did she have to die?" She yanked her arm out of the courier's grasp, tears burning in her eyes. A sob shook her, and she swore softly. "Why, damn it? What happened?"

Artemis was at a loss for words. "Veronica..."

"I never got to tell her goodbye! Not when she left the Brotherhood, and not now. All of that work for nothing! It isn't fair!" The scribe's voice caught and she tried to say more, but started crying instead, unable to speak through the frantic sobbing that overcame her.

The courier looked at her friend for just a moment, feeling more helpless than she ever had in her life. Not only was she numb from losing a trusted companion, her only real friend in the entire wasteland was falling apart in front of her, and there was nothing she could do to make it better. She moved forward and pulled the scribe into a tight hug, holding her and rocking her gently. A few tears of her own fell, and together they grieved for their fallen friend.

Veronica was still sniffling and hiccuping when Artemis finally coaxed her to her feet. They walked back to the doctor's house slowly, neither woman wanting to face the reality of Christine's death. The courier hesitated on the porch, finally opening the door for Veronica and following her inside.

The scribe lingered by the door, unwilling to go farther and see the dead body of the woman she'd loved. Artemis slipped off to the doctor's room, and returned with the old man a few moments later.

"Sorry to wake you," the courier was saying, "I just thought you should probably take a look."

The doctor gave Veronica a sympathetic half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, moving toward Veronica and carefully taking her arm. He studied it for a few moments, nodding a little. "Come with me," he murmured, ushering the scribe into a sitting room at the back of the house. Artemis followed quietly, leaning against the wall and watching the doctor examine her friend.

Doc Mitchell took Veronica's hand again, flexing her fingers gently. The scribe let out a little hiss of pain, trying to pull away. He nodded again, getting to his feet. "Yep, you were right. Looks broken to me." The doctor excused himself, stepping into an adjoining room.

Veronica watched him go numbly, cringing when she noticed the sheet-covered body in the next room. Her gaze dropped to the floor instead, but no tears came.

The old man returned to the room a few moments later, a few medical supplies in hand. He cleaned a few flecks of metal out of her hand and gave her a stimpak before wrapping her hand up and securing the bandage. "There you go," he said quietly. He hesitated, then offered an apology. "I'm real sorry about your friend. There wasn't a damn thing anyone could've done. Not even them fancy folk in Vegas."

Veronica said nothing, looking down at the bandage on her hand.

Doc Mitchell got to his feet, moving to leave the room.

"Thanks, doc," Artemis murmured as he left, standing up and moving to sit beside the scribe. She opened her mouth to say something, then sighed. "Does that feel better?"

The scribe wiggled her fingers a little, wincing. "I guess." Her voice sounded hollow and robotic in her ears.

They were both quiet again, and Artemis looked through the doorway at Christine's body. "God, this sucks," she muttered, dropping her face into her hands. "I'm so sorry, Veronica. I thought we could..." Her voice trailed off and she groaned.

Veronica didn't answer, a wave of grief overwhelming her so completely she found it hard to breathe. Tears stung in her eyes again, and she curled up on her end of the couch and tried not to lose control of herself again.

The courier rested a hand on Veronica's knee, sitting with her friend for a while as she let the pain of losing her companion wash over her.

After Veronica's tears ran out, she sat there quietly, her gaze going to the body in the next room. Her own words from earlier came back to her, and she knew that this was the only goodbye she was going to get. She moved mechanically, hardly aware of getting to her feet until the courier made a noise of surprise.

"Veronica?"

"I have to say goodbye," the scribe responded simply, walking into the makeshift operating room.

Artemis watched as Veronica pulled a stool over to her lover's body, swallowing past the lump in her throat. The scribe sat down and took a deep breath. She lifted her gaze to the sheet and looked at it for a moment before pulling it away and looking upon the scarred woman's peaceful face.

While Veronica reached out to cradle Christine's cheek, the courier got up and slipped away. The moment was private, and she wasn't sure if she could take seeing Veronica any more upset that night. She made her way down the hall to the spare bedroom Doc Mitchell had offered them, crawling into the bed and hoping that sleep would come quickly and bring some peace.

=======%%%%%%%=======

Artemis rose early the next morning, noticing that Veronica hadn't come to bed and heading out of the room. The doctor was in the kitchen, preparing some breakfast. He greeted the courier with a nod, keeping his voice low.

"Mornin."

The courier returned the greeting, her brow furrowing with concern. "Where's Veronica?"

The doctor's face grew sad. "She fell asleep out there with her friend. Poor thing must be taking this really hard, what with the way she was holdin' onto the body."

Artemis felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach, but swallowed her feelings. "Yeah. They used to be close."

The old man tutted, offering her a helping of the stew he seemed to be making, but she politely declined, exiting the kitchen to search for Veronica. She found her friend curled up on the couch, her face calm for the first time in what felt like years. Artemis' worry eased and she reached out and stroked the scribe's cheek gently, hoping the woman took some comfort from the action.

Veronica stirred at the contact, her eyes fluttering open and focusing on Artemis. She looked confused, glancing around the room before realization and pain swept over her.

"Sorry," Artemis murmured, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Veronica pushed herself into a sitting position, gasping a little when she used her broken hand. "What time is it?"

"It's still early. You can go back to sleep." Artemis crouched down so she was closer to being at eye level with her friend. "He's got a spare bedroom."

Veronica shook her head, only meeting the courier's gaze for a moment. "I'm good."

The courier pursed her lips. "Are you sure?"

A nod from the scribe passed as an answer, and Artemis sighed. She studied Veronica for a moment, noticing how hollow the scribe looked. Something inside her ached at the sight, but she knew it wasn't the time to dwell on it. Instead, she offered a steadying hand as Veronica rose and swayed a little on her feet.

"C'mon, Doc's making breakfast."

They walked out of the room, back toward the kitchen. Veronica ducked off into the bathroom on the way, and Artemis returned to the kitchen, taking a seat at the table.

The doctor handed her a bottle of water, waving away her thanks with his spoon. They were both quiet for a few moments, still exhausted and upset at the loss.

"We're going to need to bury her," she mused aloud, taking a drink and swirling it around in her mouth.

Doc Mitchell nodded, taking a bite of his food and swallowing it before answering. "You know, I think that grave Victor dug you out of is still there and mostly dug out."

"That'd save some work," Artemis agreed, somewhat bothered by the numbness she felt talking about the burial so casually.

The doctor nodded. "There's, uh, there's a shovel up there. Saves us all having to store 'em."

Artemis nodded grimly. "Makes sense. I'll take her up there and get it over with."

Doc Mitchell offered her some food once again, but she waved it away, having no appetite at the thought of burying a friend.

The courier got to her feet, heading into the other room. She did her best to secure the sheet around the dead woman, wanting to preserve her dignity in some small way. She picked Christine up in her arms, trying to be gentle, even though she knew it wouldn't hurt the dead woman.

Veronica appeared behind her, gazing at the body before lifting her gaze to meet the courier's. "Are you going to bury her?"

The courier nodded quietly, hating the grief she heard in her friend's voice. Neither of them said anything for a long moment, and Artemis finally started for the door. Veronica followed wordlessly, moving forward to get the door.

They stepped out into the still morning air, making their way down the hill and through the little town. The two of them were hardly a flashy funeral procession, but the few residents that were awake grew respectfully silent as they passed by.

The climb to the graveyard seemed to take ages, feeling much different than the similar slopes they'd scaled the day before. When they reached the top, Artemis immediately spotted the shovel leaning against the fence, her eyes scanning the graveyard for the open grave. She couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought that she'd nearly died in the very same place, but forced the thoughts out of her mind and moved toward the shallow grave at the far end of the cemetery.

Over the time that had passed since it had originally been dug, the grave had lost its shape and filled in a little. Artemis laid Christine down gently, turning back and getting the shovel. She'd just stepped down into the grave when Veronica spoke again.

"I want to do it."

Artemis gave the scribe an apprehensive look. "Your hand..."

Veronica shook her head. "I don't care."

Artemis reluctantly turned over the shovel and stepped back, watching as the scribe set to work digging out the grave. Thanks to the water tower behind them, the ground was soft and Veronica didn't complain at the repeating jarring of her hand. An hour later, the courier finally stopped her, deeming the grave deep enough. "Hey, help me out here," she added, moving to grab Christine.

Veronica tossed the shovel away, reaching up to help Artemis lower the sheet-covered body into the grave. She rested Christine on the dirt gently, standing up and turning away.

Artemis extended a hand to help her up, and Veronica allowed the courier to pull her out of the grave. They worked together quietly, pushing the dirt back into the hole. When they had finished, all that remained was a slightly raised mound where the grave had been.

The courier let out a sigh and glanced at Veronica. "Do you think we should say something, or...?"

The scribe shrugged, looking at the pile of dirt quietly.

Artemis studied the grave for a few moments, wondering briefly where they could get something to mark it before sighing again. She went over all the things she'd heard about and been through with Christine in her mind, grateful for the chance to meet her. The courier apologized silently, wishing she had been able to do more. "Thanks, Christine," she murmured, backing away. She couldn't find anything else to express what she felt, and somehow, that felt like enough.

Veronica lingered by the grave for a while, finally turning and looking at Artemis. "I'm going to stay here for a while."

Artemis nodded uncertainly. "Do... do you want me to stay?"

Veronica shook her head. "You don't have to." She looked back to the grave and studied it for a few moments before adding, "it's okay."

The courier wasn't sure of what to do, and after a few minutes had passed, she walked back down the hill to give her friend some privacy. She let her feet lead her to the saloon, hoping for a respite from the emotional rollercoaster going on in her gut.

========%%%%%%%%%%==========

Artemis had kept one eye on the hill to the graveyard all morning, and for the beginning of the afternoon. Veronica hadn't come down from the cemetery, and Artemis was worried again. She paid for a Nuka Cola, knowing it was Veronica's favorite, and set out toward the cemetery again.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, the courier was surprised to see that Veronica wasn't near the grave, instead sitting near the edge of the overlook, gazing out at the Vegas skyline. She gave the hooded woman a strange look, clearing her throat and walking over to her.

"Hey." The courier hesitated. "Can I sit?"

Veronica nodded, her face relatively calm.

Artemis plopped unceremoniously, offering her friend the drink she'd brought. The scribe accepted it with a murmured "thank you" and a half smile that the courier was sure she'd imagined.

"Are you okay?" Artemis ventured after a few minutes of silence.

Veronica sighed. "I will be. Eventually. At least I got some closure." She was quiet for a few minutes, taking a little drink from the bottle. "Will you tell me what happened now?"

The courier gave her friend an odd look. "What?"

"To Christine," Veronica clarified, her voice only catching slightly on the name. "You said it was a long story. Will you tell me now?"

Artemis shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I guess. If you're ready for it."

Veronica nodded, staring out across the Mojave.

The courier began the tale of her trip to the fabled Sierra Madre casino, awaiting the usual barrage of questions Veronica usually asked, but the scribe stayed silent as she listened. Though she was a little thrown, Artemis described waking up with a bomb collar around her neck and explained the harrowing trip through the Villa and finding a mute Christine trapped in a rigged Auto-doc. She left out plenty of details of the city, not wanting to relive the hell she'd experienced, and also wanting to shield Veronica from what she could.

While Veronica looked ill at the thought of Christine's trauma, she didn't ask Artemis to stop, so the courier continued, telling of triggering the gala event for the mysterious voice on her Pipboy. She skipped to her reunion with Christine, feeling a bit of the relief she had in the casino.

"She had her voice back, but I guess it wasn't hers. She kept making this weird face every time she said something, like she couldn't believe her ears." Artemis mimicked the facial expression, grinning a little. "The casino was wired to only listen to this one woman's voice, though, and that's probably why that happened. I didn't think too much about it. I was more focused on not getting our heads blown off."

Veronica snorted, a shadow of a smile on her face.

"There was one last thing we needed to do to make the guy on my Pipboy happy," Artemis continued, her eyes darkening. "I had to go down into the Vault beneath the casino and crack it open, but Christine... she stopped me. She said she knew who the guy was. And she wanted to kill him."

The scribe's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Artemis let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at her neck subconsciously. "It was Elijah. She was on a mission to track him down and kill him, but she said it was personal. She begged me to let her have a shot at him." The courier gave Veronica an uncertain look. "She didn't want to tell me why, but I kept pushing until she gave in. She told me about leaving the Brotherhood, and then she got quiet. She said he forced her away from someone she used to care about."

Veronica let out a little gasp, giving the courier a sharp look. She looked like she had a million things to say, but didn't speak.

"She meant you," the courier affirmed, watching the flurry of emotions across Veronica's face. "She told me Elijah had exiled her, trying to keep her from tainting you, and she was told she had to leave immediately. The group she was with had been following Elijah, and they knew he was getting dangerous. She wanted to take him out and make sure that you were away from him, so you'd be safe." Artemis was overcome with a wave of emotion, remembering Christine's determined explanation.

"I told her it would be too dangerous; neither of us knew what state he'd be in, and we weren't well-armed," the courier continued, trying to finish the tale without completely draining them both of emotion. "I don't know how I managed it, but she agreed to stay away, and I went down into the Vault. I met Elijah, and...then someone started shooting. Christine had followed me down into the vault, and she got a lucky shot in. He took one in the chest and pulled out this big laser rifle he must've built himself and started shooting. He was yelling about being in control of us, and that we'd just been pawns in his game, and he didn't need us anymore. We tried to keep him busy, and eventually I found an opening and jumped on him. When... when it was over, I... she..." Artemis swallowed and wiped tears from her eyes. "I hurried back as fast as I could, but..." She looked over at her companion. "I'm sorry, Veronica. I'm so sorry."

The scribe was quiet for a long time, staring off into the distance as tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "I... can't say I'm surprised about Elijah going crazy. But I thought... he told me Christine left because..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

"It changes what you believed for so long," Artemis offered. She cringed at her own words, shooting a concerned glance at her friend. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you. Damn it. I'm sorry," she said again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm really bad at this whole comforting thing."

Veronica scoffed quietly, finally looking over at the courier. "This whole thing sucks, and it's hard, but I appreciate you trying." The corner of her mouth lifted in a sad little smile and she reached over with her uninjured hand, taking hold of the courier's hand.

Artemis wound their fingers together, returning the smile uncertainly.

They sat there for a while, the silent companionship being of more comfort than words ever could. Finally, Veronica spoke.

"She would have loved it here. Christine, I mean. She always hated being trapped down in the bunker for too long." A faraway smile passed over her face. "That was how we met, actually. Elijah was taking me out on one of our scouting trips, and we caught her sneaking out of the bunker. He laid into her, yelling and practically foaming at the mouth. She was bright red, and I kept trying not to laugh at the look on her face. I teased her about that for years. But she went with me once, on one of my 'procurement specialist' trips." Veronica's face grew thoughtful. "I don't think I ever saw her look happier." There was a beat of silence. "Except that first time we..." The scribe's cheeks darkened. "Um. Never mind."

Artemis laughed, nudging the embarrassed scribe. "You must not be half bad in bed."

"Shut up," Veronica retorted, giving the courier a playful shove. "I still have one good fist and I'd hate to have to break it on your head."

The courier chuckled, wrapping an arm around Veronica's shoulders in a quick hug. "You wouldn't dare."

The wasteland before them shimmered as the sun beat down, and Veronica finally moved to get up, pulling the courier with her. They walked past the fresh grave, down the hill, and back toward the town in silence.

"Thank you," Veronica murmured, stopping and giving the courier a sincere look. The words were loaded with meaning, and they caught Artemis off guard. "It hurts right now, but thank you anyway."

Artemis tried and failed to say something, feeling helpless all over again. "I really am sorry." She gave the scribe an uncertain smile. "If there's anything I can do... I mean, I..."

Veronica grinned. "You can buy me lunch; I haven't eaten in ages."

The courier's smile grew. "I think I can manage that. C'mon, let's go."

"Let's," Veronica agreed, following the courier toward the saloon and toward the future.


End file.
